<b>*4.25 Stars*</b>

My Riot is a graphic novel that tells the story of Val, in the early 90's. It's all about Punk Rock, being a teenage girl back then and shitty adults being shitty. It was so very good.
I really liked it. Val's voice was captivating and I flew through this. I liked her spirit and her attitude. She very much was a badass. The whole journey was very interesting. I just had a great time reading this.

This was delightful. I think it's definitely one of my favorite graphic novels. I love dance and punk music, so this was definitely my style. I liked how it read like a memoir, it really felt like Val was talking to me. I loved her transformation and how supportive her mom was after some bumps in the road. I'm looking forward to seeing this one in stores.

For the full review, visit: https://fictionfixerreads.wordpress.com/2020/08/17/arc-review-my-riot/

My Riot is a spitfire of a graphic novel that tackles the riot grrrl movement of the 90s. It embodies the punk, independent spirit of the women within the movement, and tells its story through a coming-of-age lens. The art is stylish and fun, but for a story about female friendship and empowerment, there was a surprising lack of depth or memorable female friendship moments from the side characters, which shallowed the story’s impact. The story’s pacing and development also left me feeling lacking, because both were so sudden and the stakes were mostly glossed over. Maybe if the story was a little longer, these elements could have been explored and added for impact.

I really enjoyed Val's growth throughout the comic. It was a little have to read the things her ballet teacher told her.

My Riot might be based in the 90's but as someone who lived and breathed concerts my entire high school life it really resonates with me. I never wanted to be front and center but the feel of being in a crowd of people that love this thing that you love and that saved you from yourself is an amazing feeling.

Please note that the following contains potential spoilers.

What I didn't like:

-Some of the characters' motivations are rather confusing at times; this is especially true with Val's mother. She is depicted as being really strict, and then she suddenly changes without much explanation.

-There is a love triangle early on that seems pointless. I think maybe it's supposed to represent the conflict between two worlds (ballet vs. punk music), but I feel this could have been represented just as well without the love triangle subplot.

-The ending, or rather, how the story gets there. It felt like the writer was getting to the end of the second act, realized they were running out of space, and had to sum up the third act in a few paragraphs before skipping straight to the epilogue. It would not have hurt this novel if it had been at least a third longer.

What I loved:

-The art style. To some readers, the art style will seem simple compared to what you'll find in many graphic novels, but I think it fits this story well, and feels like a style that would have been employed for this story if it had been written in the time era in which it takes place. It conveys both humorous and serious moments really well. I especially loved the creative ways the color palette was used to convey mood and setting.

-The feminism and politics. This book isn't afraid to wear these on its sleeve, which I think makes sense in a story in which the riot grrrl movement plays a central role.

-The story avoids many of the cliches I was expecting in a story about an up and coming musical group. I especially loved the camaraderie between the three members of The Proper Ladies, who stay close even in times of struggle and don't let the promise of greater fame and fortune come between them.

-The nineties nostalgia. As someone who grew up during the nineties, I would love to see more work of this variety.

-The ending. While I was critical earlier of how the book skipped through a lot to get there, the ending itself is actually really good. To avoid spoiling it, I'll just say that it felt realistic and appropriate to the story.

Overall, I was pleased with this book, and would be interested in reading more work from this writer and artist team.

Special thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the eARC I was provided in exchange for an honest review.

this was SUCH a cool book and i love the art style and colour palette so much. it's essentially a love letter to punk music, the scene, and forging your own identity. i loved this comic and really felt the passion that went into its creation

My Riot is a snapshot of the life of teen ballerina and aspiring punk rocker, Val, who finds herself in the heart of the riot grrrl scene. The art in this graphic novel is appropriately rough and raw, effectively creating a world and character full of messy, riotous, emotional highs and lows. The writing doesn't quite live up to the artwork, though it's solid enough, touching lightly on several issues and plot points before moving on, but collapses a little at the end, when the book tries to zip through several years too quickly and abruptly. The overall effect of My Riot is moving, a little messy, and joyful, though somewhat flimsy.

I have been on a graphic novel kick recently; they give me respite for a couple of hours and I find myself reading a whole new perspective in a whole new medium.

My Riot is about a straight – laced teenage ballet dancer; who always walks the straight narrow but the demands of her career in ballet leads her down on a path of eating disorders making her wanting to hate ballet – but she has something to look forward to; her first job.

Her job becomes a refuge, especially when her conservative mother finds condoms in her backpack (the slut shaming in the book is something I do not condone; nor do I think it was handled properly!) – but when riots break out; even though with the protagonist’s suburban life, she is mostly sheltered from the actual consequences; a brick through the window at her workplace, brings about a change that leads her to new friends a punk rock band.

The feminist undertones that the novel starts with and what I think the author wants to put forward; tends to get lost in the typical teenage issues that end up overwhelming the storyline; and the fact that Val sometimes doesn’t come across as a character you would even like; let alone emphasize with.

However, it was a good read; with some hilarious and indulging times that would be recognizable to anyone reminiscent of their own teenage years! Worth a one time read.

The ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

I was pleasantly surprised by this graphic novel. I didn't expect much, just requested it because it looked fun, but it was worth the read!
This is the story of a band "The Proper Ladies" and how it came to be. It is also about growing up, deciding who you want to be in life and finding out who you are.

DNF @ Chapter 3

Trigger warnings: Abuse, fat shaming, bulimia, slut shaming.

I'll keep this review short.
Were I to know there were going to be so many trigger warnings, I wouldn't have picked this up. The book starts with Val in a job interview, and from therw the book tries to be too edgy, and it bothered me from the start. I personally couldn't stomach the fat shaming, abuse, and adults forcing teenagers to lose weight by smoking cigarettes. This book wasn't for me, and I couldn't force myself to continue reading it when I felt so uncomfortable.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this graphic novel! The art style was fantastic, the panels really well thought-out and drawn, and I especially loved the idea that this might be someone's first exposure to the Riot Girls era. From the development of the characters, going from being the quiet, well-mannered daughter everyone wants her to be to the badass music rocker who goes on a tour with her best friend and plays for the masses, not caring what boys want from her or when men try to make her shut up, this just made me happy, angry, elated - yes, in that order.
Fantastic story! Can't wait to pick up more by this author in the future!

This comic was great. It is about a teenage girl finding her way to herself, through music and friendship and hard times. It's an ode to riot grrl and the punk rock scene. I could smell the shitty clubs and sweaty pits just by looking at the pages. I was instantly transported back to my days at house shows and all ages venues and 924 Gilman and dive bars. Now my punk rock ethos is expressed via my work and my parenting and activism but I'm imagining the day I watch my kid, currently four, explore all this stuff herself. I'm terrified and I can't wait. And if a book brought all that up for me in one reading? It's a good book.

(I'd love follow-up books from Kat and Rudie's POVs, please!)

I received a free electronic ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. But I probably would have bought it anyway.

I had a lot of fun reading this one. It's a great coming of age graphic novel about female friendships, finding what makes you happy, and just general teenage angst. Val is an interesting main character and I loved getting to follow her story of self discovery.

Outside of my normal genre but I loved the feminism of this book. I devoured it in a day. A nice reminder that doing what you love is enough.

"We had to fight to be here!" Yes, girls! Yes, rock bands! Yes, girl rock bands!

I would for sure be a Proper Ladies fan! This is a great coming of age story for the riot grrrl generation and everyone who is continuously influenced by it. A young girl finding herself and discovering her own likes and dislikes, breaking out of the expectations dictated to her. I saw so much of my own story, down to licking hand stamps to get into shows. Finding your own path and voice through music.

Loved the very minimal but strategic use of color--green vomit, pink blushing cheeks, red bloody noses. It emphasized impact that moved the story forward without adding more text or panels.

"My Riot" is a must read graphic novel. It's a startlingly intense coming of age story that many 90s kids will deeply identify with, especially if they grew up loving the punk music scene. Val's transformation will have readers cheering her on as she asserts her own independence and discovers her true self. The ending is particularly wholesome. Highly recommended for all collections aimed at teens and up.

My Riot is about a ballerina, Val, from a conservative family who meets a Punk Rocker and forms a grunge band. It is Valley Girl set in the 90's. Val and her friends break all the girl coming of age guidelines. This book does give a positive view on a girls body and speaks a bit to the feminist in us. I enjoy Graphic Novel, but I will stick with the Manga and darker GNs. I guess this was no what I expected, that does not mean it is not a good read. It just was not for me. I am giving this a 3 star review.

"My Riot" is the story of Val Simmons, a teenager trying to find where she fits in and how to become the woman she's meant to be. She is encountering many of the typical trials and tribulations we go through as we age - are we enough? How do we grow and become the person we want to be without disappointing those around us? Can we be happy following the life that’s already laid out before us, or do we rebel to follow something that feels so right?

We first meet Val as she dreams of being a ballerina, though the pressure may more trouble than it's worth. Little does she know she's soon to make a new best friend who introduces her to the world of punk and riot grrl. Val must decide if her passion truly lies in dancing, or if this new scene of strong, bad ass girls starting their own movement. The story ramps up quickly from here, with Val falling into the scene and becoming a firm believer in women succeeding in a man’s world all while screaming “Girls to the front!”

I sadly got into riot grrl well after the movement originated, but Val's story will touch home if you've ever wanted to start a band and being proud of yourself even if you don’t “fit in”. So many girls have lived this story in some way, and reading a story like Val's let's you know you're not alone as you navigate that crazy time known as puberty and finding yourself. The story can at time feel rushed, as we are limited to a single graphic novel, and the characters can fall into stereotype, but you can't help but root for our girls to make it in a scene that doesn't always welcome those of the female persuasion. We’ve read this story before, but we’re brought to love the characters even if they may not always be likable people. I would’ve loved to have seen this story fleshed out a bit more, but nothing is taken away from the story in it’s brief telling.

If you were a teen in the 90s who felt like they just didn't fit in, this is a sweet little graphic novel written just for you.

A lovely story following a young girl breaking out from expectations that have been set for her, to find what she really wants out of life.

A strong , feminist story, would definitely recommend to others.

*thank you to netgalley and Oni Press for the review copy*

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!

I was disappointed by this novel. I love the 90's grunge aesthetic and the artwork was amazing. A coming of age book with a feminist rock band? Sign me up!

However, I found myself page after page seeing completely missed opportunities. I believe my biggest problem with it was the pacing. Nothing in the book felt earned. Not even the friendships formed, which are supposed to be a central theme within the story. I also had problems with the love interests, as everyone is immediately smitten with our protagonist within the first frame. The two boys felt like props. There was no chemistry or development, the relationships went from point A to point B and any conflicts that arose felt pointless and undeserved. I feel as if this had a lot to do with the pacing problems. We jumped so quickly between the formation of the band and the rise to local fame. None of their success felt earned.

This book also consists of a lot of topics I don't feel were handled properly. As an example, an authority figure forces our protagonist to develop an eating disorder, by body shaming and giving advice on how to loose the weight by forming a tobacco addiction. This also leads them to bulimia. This was probably here to depict the stress of her day to day life, but it was handled very poorly. Once the band is formed it's never mentioned again. In fact, once the band is formed we're supposed to notice a change in the protagonist but I saw none. I felt as if there was no character development in this coming of age story, which is what I really look for when reading these types of books.

This was all in all a big disappointment. I'm sure if you're a teen who feels constrained by day to day life you might enjoy this book. I did enjoy the artwork and the 90's grunge aesthetic, but that's about it.